


Wishful Thinking

by PotionsMistressM



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-04
Updated: 2012-12-04
Packaged: 2017-11-20 06:04:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/582102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PotionsMistressM/pseuds/PotionsMistressM
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Henry's 11th birthday party.  And Emma still hates Regina.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wishful Thinking

_Well this is awkward._

Playing nice had never been a particular skill of Emma's, and she could say with complete certainty that it was absolutely not one of Regina's. And yet here they were, looking for all the world as if they were, at the very worst, uncomfortable acquaintances.

_I want to shove her smug face into the fucking cake._

When no one was looking, Emma glared at the mayor... queen... whatever it was Regina was calling herself these days. How was it that the wench still had rights to Henry? Sure, she had raised him, but thankfully he didn't seem any worse for the wear. Honestly, why were they even still pretending like the laws of Storybrooke, Maine, or even the United States made any sense here anymore? Emma didn't know much about the way things had been run back where they'd all come from, but she had a pretty good guess that whoever carried the biggest sword won, and between herself and her father ( _Dear God, is that strange..._ ), she was pretty sure Regina could have been wasted at any time.

"Oh, cool! Thanks, Mr. Gold! Thanks, Belle!" Henry's happy voice ripped her back to the present. The very uncomfortable present. Henry's eleventh birthday party. Emma was no expert on the subject, having been a foster kid and never having had or been invited to any birthday parties as a child, but she was pretty sure that school-age kids would much prefer a party with their classmates and not the weird, let's-show-you-off-to-our-friends kind of party parents usually had for kids before they knew any better. Ashley and Sean had thrown a giant first birthday party for Alexandra, but since she obviously had no clue what was going on, the party had been strictly for the couple's adult friends. Surely Henry would have preferred laser tag or a camp out in the backyard with other kids his age than this uncomfortable show of Regina's power. The invitations might as well have had blinking red letters reading _He's still my son!_.

As Henry continued to rip open his presents ( _Okay, that's one good part of inviting adults- way better presents._ ) Emma looked over the room. Strange. Oh, so very, very strange. Completely disregarding the utter weirdness that was the fact that Gold had a girlfriend- a _hot_ girlfriend, who looked to be in no way under his power and/or the result of some ridiculous deal he'd made before Storybrooke, it was disconcerting to think that Henry's grandparents were also in attendance. He seemed to be adjusting to the my-teacher-is-my-grandma thing way better than Emma was adjusting to the my-roommate-who's-the-same-age-as-I-am-is-actually-my-mother thing. Maybe it was because he'd always believed in the curse, or maybe it was just because he was a kid, and impossible things never seemed as impossible to kids.

_Ugh. God, I hate you._

Emma's scan of the room had eventually brought her back around to Regina, catching the queen's eye. The two glared at each other, hatred palpable. Not for the first time Emma contemplated what would have happened if she'd never saved Regina from that fire. 

"Thanks, everyone!" Henry said, finished opening his gifts. He looked up at Regina, too happy and spoiled by the new toys, games, and books to have time to challenge her custody. "Time for cake now?" Regina nodded and disappeared into the kitchen. Henry caught Emma's eye and beamed, and she couldn't help but smile back. No matter her issues with Regina, today was about Henry. She may never have wanted a kid, but since he'd found her she couldn't dispute the fact that she was happier... more whole. He had told her the previous week, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, that his cake was going to be special. After watching a whole slew of TV shows about fantastical cakes ( _Seriously, sometimes that's all that's on!_ ), Emma's expectations were certainly high, and so she was a little confused as Regina brought out a single plate and held it in front of Henry as the crowd sang, "Happy Birthday." She stepped a little closer to him, and as she recognized his "special" cake, her breath caught immediately and no matter how hard she tried to swallow the lump forming in her throat she could not.

On the small plate sat a single cupcake, a lonely candle in the shape of a blue star flickering on top.

The singing ended and Henry and Emma's eyes locked, and as guest began to chant, "Make a wish!" Henry smiled, winked at her, and blew out his candle. Emma had a pretty good idea what her son had wished for.


End file.
